Car-coupling.



PATENTED JUNE 5, 1906.

M. R. KNEBDLER.

GAR COUPLING.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 20. 1.905.

UNITED STATES.

PATENT QFFIQE.

CAR-COUPLING.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 5, 1906..

Application filed March 20, 1905. Serial No. 250,946.

To all whom it may concern: I

Be it known that I, IVIIRIAM R. KNEEDLER, of the city and county ofPhiladelphia, State of Pennsylvania, have invented an Improvement inCar-Couplers, of which the following is a specification.

My invention has reference to car-couplers; and it consists of certainimprovements which are fully set forth in the following specification,and shown in the accompanying drawings, which form a part thereof.

The object of my invention is to provide a construction of car-couplerwhich shall have capacity for automatically 0 ening its jaw whenreleased, whereby it shall be capable of automatically operating eitherin coupling two cars or in disengaging when shifting cars after theengine and train has given the necessary impetus to the car to bedisengaged and shifted.

My improved coupler consists of the drawhead combined with a pivotedjaw, locking and unlocking devices for the jaw, and means forautomatically turning the jaw to open position when the same isunlocked.

My invention also comprehends details of construction which, togetherwith the features specified above, will be better understood byreference to the drawings, in which Figure l is a plan view of a couplerembodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of same. Fig. 3 is asectional elevation on line 3 3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a front elevationof a portion of the head. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the pivotedjaw. Fig. 6 is an elevation showing the means for operating thelocking-bolt, and Fig. 7 is an elevation of the locking-bolt.

A is the draw-head and may be shaped as usual except so far as myimprovements are concerned. Adjacent to the pivot or hinge pin for thejaw B, I provide a cam-track D at the bottom and a cam projection D atthe top extending downward, as shown in Figs. 2 and 4.. The interior ofthe head has its floor at the rear provided with an inclined guide I,the purpose of which will be explained later on.

The pivoted jaw B is hinged upon the pin C and adapted to swing aroundin the usual manner for coupling or uncoupling. This jaw adjacent to itspivot is formed on the top with a cam-recess E and on the bottom with acam projection E. These parts E E coop erate with the cam projection Dand cam track D on the head in such a manner that if the jaw is left toitself it will be caused to rotate from a closed to an open positionautomatically. To do this, the jaw is made somewhat less in verticalthickness than the space between the top and bottom walls of the head,so that it may shift downward by gravity and by its own weight propel orrotate itself about its axis C. This action may be facilitated by aspring J, fixed in the side wall of the head and so acting upon the rearend F of the jaw B as to start it on its rotation when releaed. Thisspring may be ap plied in any other manner desired to assist the jaw inits first movement. Such use of a spring will be found effective,especially in case of the parts becoming clogged by rust.

As a further means for causing the jaw B to rotate to open position Iprovide its rear end F with a roller H, which runs upon the inclinedguide I on the floor of the head A. These several means will cause thejaw to rotate without binding upon the hinge-pin C.

It is evident that either the cam-guide I may be used without the partsE E D D, or vice versa, the purposes of my invention being fulfilled byany cam devices which by gravity cause the jaw to rotate to openposition.

J is the locking-bolt, adapted to slide vertically in the head A. Whenit is lowered to the position shown in Fig. 3, it looks the rear end Fof the jaw and prevents the said jaw from rotating outward. It is thenin coupling position. When the bolt is raised, the jaw B swings aroundto open position. If the bolt be then lowered, a roller K, journaled onthe side of the bolt, runs upon the trackway G in the rear end F of thejaw B, and thereby supports the bolt. If now the jaw be thrown to aclosed position by the ordinary act of bringing two cars together, theroller K will ride upward on the traokway G upon which it is resting andultimately pass over the end thereof, allowing the bolt to fall and lockthe jaw in coupled position. In this way the cars may be automaticallycoupled.

In cases where the cars are to be shifted by momentum it is necessary tohold the locking-bolt in a raised position, so that it cannot lock thejaw. To accomplish this, I form the bolt J with a slotted upper end atL, in which is hinged at N a pawl M. The upper end of this pawl ishinged to a lever O, which is pivoted upon a pin P, which passes throughan elongated hole P. Ordinarily the lever 0 may raise or lower the boltwith out latching it in elevated position. To latch the bolt in itsraised position, the lever O is pulled longitudinally when operated, soas to rock the pawl M and make its lower edge move laterally to catchover the upper edge of the slot in the head A, forming the guide for thelocking-bolt, as shown in Fig. 6. In this manner the bolt may be liftedby hand to liberate the jaw and allow it to swing, around into openposition, and if said bolt is latched in its raised position the jawcannot be locked, and hence is in proper condition for shifting the carby its own momentum and in which the coupling must automatically attachitself from the neXt car or engine, which starts it into motion.

Any other suitable locking bolt and latch may be used in lieu of thatshown, and in many respects the details of construction may be varied ormodified without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a car-coupler, the combination of the draw-head, with agravity-actuated pivoted jaw adapted to swing to' the open position whenreleased, a locking-bolt to lock the jaw normally resting upon the rearend of the jaw and controlled by it, and hand-operated means arrangedabove the draw-head to hold the locking-bolt out of locking positionconsisting of a pivoted part carried by the bolt and a hand-lever tomove said pivoted part.

2. In a car-coupler, the combination of the draw-head having a pivot-pinbearing to one side of the front of the head, a cam adjacent to thepivot-pin bearing and a cam upon the rear and lower part of the head,with a pivotpin, a jaw hinged upon and snugly fitting the pivot-pin andalso provided with a cam-surface adjacent to the pivot-pin to cooperatewith one of the cams of the draw-head and further provided with a rearextension having a part resting upon the other cam of the draw-head, anda lock for locking the jaw in its closed position.

3. In a car-coupler the combination of the draw-head, with agravity-actuated pivoted jaw adapted to swing to the open position whenreleased, and a lock to lock the jaw in its closed position, consistingof a vertical bolt J, a pivoted and longitudinally-adjustable lever O,and a latch M hinged to the bolt and also to the lever whereby the levermay operate both the bolt and latch.

4. In a car-coupler, the combination of the draw-head having a pivot-pinbearing to one side of the front of the head, a cam adjacent to thepivot-pin bearing and a cam upon the rear and lower part of the head,with a pivotpin, a aw hinged upon and snugly fitting the pivot-pin andalso provided with a cam-sur face adjacent to the'pivot-pin to cooperatewith one of the cams of the draw-head and further provided with a rearextension having a roller resting upon the other end of the draw-head,and a lock for locking the jaw in its closed position.

5. In a car-coupler, the combination of the draw-head having cam-guidesD and I, with a jaw pivoted to the head with capacity for movement andhaving a cam-face E and roller II respectively supported upon thecam-guides whereby it is caused to rotate to open position whenunrestrained, a lockingbolt adapted to lock the jaw in closed position,and means to hold the bolt out of looking position.

6. A car-coupler draw-head having a camguide I greatly to the rear ofthe pivot of the jaw, combined with a pivoted jaw B having a rear part Fhaving a roller running upon said cam-guide,'whereby the jaw is causedto rotate to open position under the action of gravity.

7. A car-coupler draw-head having camguide I, combined with a pivotedjaw B having a rear part 1*, and a roller H journaled to the rear of thepart F and resting upon said cam-guide, whereby the jaw is caused torotate to open position under the action of gravity.

In testimony of which invention I hereunto set my hand.

MIRIAM R. KNEEDLER.

Witnesses:

IDA V. KNEEDLER, R. M. KELLY.

